Means for attaching shields to an electric-light fixture



March 24, 1931. K. A. SAWIN 1,797,555

MEANS FOR ATTACHING SHIELDS TO AN ELECTRIC LIGHT FIXTURE Filed Aug. 14, 1930 \nvenTor.

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Patented Mar. 24, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KENNETH A. SAWIN, F WINTHROP, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 WHEELER RE- FLECTOR COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, CORPORATION OF MASSACHU- snrrs- MEANS FOR ATTACHING SHIELDS TO AN ELECTRIC-LIGHT FIXTURE Application filed August 14, 1930. Serial No. 475,207.

This invention relates to a novel means for attaching a shield or similar article to the porcelain reflector of an electric light fixture and an object of the invention is to provide a novel attaching means in the nature of a clamp which can be usedfor this purpose without danger of cracking or injuring the enamel finish of the reflector.

The device is specially useful for attaching a shield to the marginal portion of a reflector for the purpose of cutting off the light rays from the fixture which are directed in some particular direction.

In order to give an understanding of the invention I have illustrated in the drawings a selected embodiment thereof which will now be described after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a street light fixture having a shield secured to the peripheral portion of the reflector by means of a device embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22, Fig. 3 looking toward the right;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33, Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of Fig. 3.

In the drawings, 1 indicates generally an electric light fixture such as is commonly used for street lighting purposes and which includes as part of its construction a porcelain reflector 2 that is herein shown .as being scalloped or fluted, this being a common manner of making reflectors for street lighting purposes.

In these electric light reflectors the electric light bulb depends below the reflector 2 and as stated above it is sometimes desirable to provide a screen or shield to cutoff the light rays from the bulb which are projected in some particular direction and my present in vention provides a novel clamping device by which such a screen or shield can be clamped to the marginal portion of the reflector 2.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings such a screen or shield is indicated at 3 and it is shown as curved to fit the curvature of the reflector 2. This screen or shield may be made of any suitable material which will effectively cut off the light rays from the electric light bulb of the fixture 1. The device herein shown I ceiving face 5 to which the shield 3 is attached by some suitable means as for instance by screws 6, and also a clamping member 7 which co-operates with the body member 4 to clamp the shield 3 to the reflector 2.

The body member 4 is provided with a laterally-extending clamping-arm 8 having a clamping face 14 onits under side adapted to overlie the upper face of the marginal portion of the reflector 2, and with a guiding arm 9 which extendsinwardly and downwardly from the lower portion of the body member and which constitutes a guide for the clamping member 7. The clamping member 7 is formed on its-under face with a groove 10 in which the arm 9 is received, and said member is also shaped to present the clamping face 11 which is parallel to the clamping face 14 and which lies against the under side of the aforesaid marginal portion of the reflector.

The clamping action for clamping the device to the reflector is secured through a clamping screw 12 which extends through an opening 13 formed in the body portion and is screw threaded through the clamping member 7. This screw has an inclined position and in fact extends substantially parallel to the guiding arm 9. When the screw 12 is tightened the clamping member 7 will be drawn upwardly over the guiding arm 9 toward the body 4 and this operation will cause the clamping face 11 of the clamping member to approach the under face 14 of the arm 8.

In applying the device to a reflector the clamping screw will be loosened to allow separation of the clamping member 7 from the arm 8 and then the device will be applied to the reflector 2 at the desired location by in; serting the edge of the reflector between the arm 8 and the clamping member 7. As the screw is tightened the clamping member will be drawn upwardly along the guiding arm 9 toward the arm 10 thereby clamping the marginal portion of the reflector between the parallel faces 11 and 14.

When the screw 12 is tightened the clamping member 7 will be drawn against the reflector 2 with a wedging action and since the two clamping faces 11 and 14: are parallel and rest flatly against the faces of the reflector, the tightening of the screw will not have any tendency to chip or split the porcelain coating on the reflector. Ilhis is an important feature of the invention as it provides for readily applying the clamp to a porcelain reflector Without injuring the latter.

In order to make it convenient to attach the shield to a fluted reflector I may, if desired, make the under face 14 of the arm 7 concave to flt the convex upper face of one of the flutes or scallops and may also make the clamping face 11 of the clamping member 7 convex to at the concave under faceof the reflector, as clearly seen in Fig. 2.

In the embodiment of the invention shown the shield-receiving face 5 is vertical so that the shield 3 will occupy a vertical plane. This face 5, however, might have different angles if it is desired to have the shield .3 occupy different inclined positions.

The device is very simple and inexpensive to manufacture and can be easily applied to the reflector of any electric light fixture.

I claim: v

'1. A clamp for clamping a shield to the edge of a reflector of an electric light fixture, said clamp comprising a body member having a shield-receiving face and presenting a clamping arm having a clamping face to overlie and engage the marginal portion of the reflector and a guiding arm to occupy a position beneath said reflector, a clamping member engaging the guiding arm and having a clamping face parallel to that of the clamping arm to engage the under side of the reflector, and means to move the clamping member along the guiding arm thereby to clamp the marginal portion of the reflector between said clamping member and said clamping arm.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a body member having a shield-receiving face and a laterally-extending clamping arm having a clamping face to overlie and engage the upper face of-the marginal portion of a reflector, and also having an inclined guiding arm, a clamping member guided by the guiding arm and having a clamping face to engage the under side of said marginal portion, a clamping screw carried by the body member and screw threaded through the clamping member, and a shield or screen secured to said shield-receiving face.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a body member having a shieldsreceiving face and a laterally-extending clamping arm having aconcave face 

